Is Becoming a Dental Hygienist Worth It? Cutting Your Teeth on a Dental Profession in 2024

Here, we’ll take a deep dive into the pluses and minuses of being a dental hygienist today. In this way, you can better decide whether cutting your teeth on a dental hygiene career is actually for you.

What Does A Dental Hygienist Do?

A dental hygienist improves patient preventative oral health. Their “scale and polish” cleanings remove plaque and tartar build-up. Dental hygienists also educate patients on flossing and brushing for better oral care. In these ways, they help dentists to focus on more intensive patient demands.   

Why Become A Dental Hygienist?

So many dental hygienists love what they do and the reasons are plenty. Here are 7 ways being a dental hygienist is worth it:

Special Patient Relationships 

A dental hygienist can cultivate trusting and empathic patient relationships. This one reason is why so many hygienists love their job. Your safe, caring attention helps make a difference in patients’ lives day after day.

Job Autonomy, Stability and Flexibility 

You are trusted to work independently with patients. Dentists also trust dental hygienists to make care recommendations. As such, these rooted professional relationships provide greater work stability. Also, many dental hygienists work part-time. This better work-life balance enables you to work in multiple dental offices, on weekend contracts, or in emergency care.

Quicker Career Start 

A dental hygienist must complete a two-year associate degree program. As such, onboarding is faster than many healthcare professions. However, it requires a state certification exam.

Earn Competitive Wages

The median national salary for dental hygienists is $87,530 per year. Your location, education, experience and company would impact this. This salary is especially competitive given the two-year onboarding time. You could also earn work time benefits, like paid time off and healthcare insurance. However, such benefits may not apply if you work part time. 

Increased Job Opportunities

After practical experience, you can obtain a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Options include research, education, public health or administration fields. Such advanced degrees help you take on greater leadership and education roles. Additionally, some dentists begin as dental hygienists or dental assistants. You can also specialize in areas like periodontal therapy.

Social Work Environment

Being a dental hygienist can be a very engaging, hands-on career. Everyday contact with patients, staff members, dental assistants and dentists provides a brisk social environment. If you have good interpersonal skills, a dental office might be an enjoyable workplace for you. 

The Investment: Time, Money and Effort

Becoming a dental hygienist may be your most rewarding yet challenging life experience. Let your passion fuel your career goals. Here are some personal and professional considerations:    

How Hard is It to Get Into Dental Hygiene School?

Being accepted to dental hygiene school is competitive. Applicants should have a strong academic record (3.5+ GPA), prerequisite course completion, and a solid candidacy application. Having already been a dental assistant also helps. 

Remember to showcase your interpersonal skills and extracurricular activities in your application. Additionally, observational hours or prior clinical work experience may be required. Determine what your application might require before applying to a program.

Is Dental Hygiene School Difficult?

Clinical terms oftentimes get easier with each semester, but can be rather challenging initially. Curriculum difficulty also depends on the school structure and your location. 

You must pass a state clinical exam and a written national exam. State requirements vary so consider those that apply to where you’d like to work. The National Board Dental Hygiene Exam (NBDHE) and the Admission Test for Dental Hygiene (ATDH) license dental hygienists. Achieve Test Prep offers NBDHE and ATDH test prep courses whenever you’re ready. 

What Are Potential Disadvantages to Being a Dental Hygienist?

Like all professions, a career in dental hygiene has its downsides. So is becoming a dental hygienist worth it considering them? Here are some of the most common reasons dental hygiene may not be for you:

Repetitive Tasks 

Dental hygiene work may lack variety because you are performing the same tasks every day. This may increase boredom and lessen focus on patient activities.

Physical Strain 

Oral patient care can be hard work on the body so regularly stretch, exercise and get massages as needed. Although you are taught ergonomics, repetitive fine motor movements can impact your neck, shoulder, back or wrist. It can also result in chronic conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome. 

Heavy Workload

Because it’s often part-time, your work usually has fewer breaks with greater efficiency demands. As such, dental offices often require a nonstop work schedule.

Challenging Patients 

Some patients can be difficult, uncooperative or even have complex cases. As such, you need to bring your can-do attitude to meet these challenges. Such cases can be especially stressful given the heavy scheduling demands. 

The Ick Factor

Working all day in a patient’s mouth can sometimes be hard on those with a weak stomach. But even those who get grossed out early on tend to become accustomed to the blood and other bodily fluids.

Minimal State Reciprocity

It can be challenging to relocate given each state’s licensing requirements. All your qualifying work may not be portable and you might need to retake your exams. 

The 2024 Dental Hygiene Job Market

Dental hygiene careers are expected to grow 9% by 2031. About 16,400 jobs exist each year for dental hygienists. As such, employment rates and career outlook are growing faster than the average US career path . This solid job outlook, increased career pathways, and greater salary potential make such a profession even more attractive.    

Is the Dental Hygiene Market Oversaturated?

Distribution challenges exist for those in bigger schools or program-rich cities. In this way, the job market might be more saturated there. As such, licensed graduates may struggle to compete for market access or sustainable employment in those locations.  

Alternative Career Pathways

You have alternatives if you don’t feel being a dental hygienist is for you. Your transferable skills can offer you a job in research, sales, administration, education, and public health. Options include being a health educator, dental treatment coordinator, telehealth specialist, clinical instructor, dental office manager, dental sales representative, or even a medical writer.

Making the Best Choice For You

Know your why when it comes to choosing what career is right for you. If you personally love helping patients and believe in quality oral care, it may just be worth it. After all, if you love what you do, you’ll never have to work another day in your life. 

Remember, Achieve Test Prep is here for you if you decide a career in dental hygiene is worth it to you. When the time comes, consider taking your NBDHE and ATDH test prep courses with us. You’ll be glad you did. In sum, making a decision on what career is best can be one of the most important choices you might face. Achieve Test Prep is here to support your success for whatever that might be.